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The Eye-Catching You: Seven Tips to Make Your Online Dating Profile Stand Out

With millions of dating profiles circulating on the web (some legit, some not so much), the thought of someone spotting and liking yours may seem daunting. While there are no guarantees that there’s a perfect someone out there just waiting to throw you a “wink,” there are ways to help your dating profile stand apart from the crowd and increase your chances of getting noticed. Many of these tips come from Business Insider and others who are in the know.

Hi there.

1. Skip the selfies, especially if you’re a guy. The days of the “behind the wheel of my sweet car” selfie or “standing in the bathroom of my gym” selfie are past, and we’re frankly glad of it. Women are more likely to get away with selfies than guys, but even then, it’s probably not your best (or most genuine) look. What to do instead: Try to find a friend or coworker to take a decent photo of you. Be smiling in that photo. No duckfaces allowed.

2. Change your profile pic every few weeks. This keeps your profile fresh and also might catch the attention of someone who could have passed over you earlier. Again, if you need more pics of you that you can add to the rotation, ask a friend to take a few next time you’re out. Remember, be smiling, and don’t use photos that are more than a year old or that don’t show what you actually look like now.

3. Flip the bad stuff into good stuff. Say you hate being outside. Maybe you have allergies, or you just don’t like to break a sweat. Instead of writing something like “you won’t catch me dead on a hike!” avoid the negativity and say something positive about what you DO like, such as “I like to hang out with my friends and loved ones at home, watching movies and being together.” You can make the point that you like staying in without totally dissing the people who prefer to be out.

4. Talk about yourself. Seriously. So many people use their dating profiles to write about what they would do for someone else (“You’d be my princess,” “My perfect guy would never want for anything,” etc). That’s great, but it doesn’t really say who YOU are when you talk about the other, hypothetical person. Instead, use that space to describe yourself and your interests. Be careful not to OVERshare, though; you’re limited in your space, and not every single tiny detail of your life needs to be in your profile. Just hit the highlights, but hit them squarely.

5. Instead of telling who you are, SHOW it. Remember in middle school English, when we all learned that “to be” verbs are weak? That’s still true for your dating profile. Don’t just say “I am funny,” or “I am a hands-on guy.” Instead, paint a picture with your description. Think you’re funny? Tell a joke here and there in your profile. Are you really hands-on? Talk about something you actually did that got your hands dirty, like that motorcycle you fixed a few months back. Whatever it is that makes up who you are, it’s far better to illustrate it than to just make a statement about it.

Love the beach? Show your love (and you)!

6. Continue that showing with your photos. A good way to illustrate your interests further is to use photos of yourself enjoying those interests. Do you like to waterski? Have someone snap a pic of you on the boat, ready to go. Love your local sports team? Get a pic of yourself cheering them on in the stands. Just be careful that your “interest” shots aren’t too distant; if the people viewing your profile can’t actually see what you look like, they may not be interested in delving further.

7. For the love of Mike, DON’T LIE. It’s amazing that this needs to be said, but people genuinely struggle with honesty on their dating profiles. Remember, the key is to eventually meet your prospective mates in person, so if you lie about what you look like, what you do for a living, or even what your interests are, those lies will come out. That said, don’t be BRUTALLY honest; your profile isn’t the place to air all of your hardcore beliefs, opinions or baggage. Be concise, be illustrative, be smiling, and above all, be YOU.